The Matrix: Fear of Technology in a Dystopian World

1152 Words3 Pages

The Matrix: Fear of Technology in a Dystopian World Millions of people flock to the movie theater year after year on a quest to be entertained. Even a mediocre movie has the ability to take the audience to another place, escaping the realities of their own life, if only for a mere two hours. Some movies are simply pure entertainment. And then, there are those movies that provoke conversation long after the film has been viewed. Dystopian themes are not new, and have historically provided a template to gage the course of human existence. The Matrix portrays a society where humans exist without freedom. The film is not only entertaining, but also thought provoking. It paints a world with two different dimensions, one with the mind numbing constraint of technology, the second with endless possibilities and free will. When closely examined, a world very much like today’s. The Matrix uses technology to dominate humankind, by implementing a socially stabilizing virtual reality program, thus warning that humanity’s obsession with technology can weaken the mind. In The Matrix, technology dominates society. The push to automate and link the world is a perpetual theme of modern society. As technology rapidly advances, implementation of computer-driven robotic devices and software programming has inundated the world and changed human perspective. There is a cost to pay when redefining the population with AI technology. This cost is identified in Barlett and Byer’s, “Back To The Future: The Humanistic Matrix” “The Matrix metaphorizes our willingness to fantasize that the ‘freedom’ rhetoric of e-capitalism accurately reflects our reality and our propensity to marvel to our technological innovations even in the face of mass alienation and... ... middle of paper ... ...the truth. There is no spoon. Then you’ll see that its not the spoon that bends, its only yourself.” The Matrix is a film, while classified as sci-fi, mirrors the growing influence and mistrust of technology today. At the time of the film’s release, an audience may have thought a world like the one depicted would be unlikely to ever occur. But, this film may mimic today’s world, offering an eerie glimpse at the course of self-destruction humanity paves with its obsession for technology. As technology progresses, the gap between worlds, the Matrix and reality, draws ominously close. Works Cited Bartlett, Laura, and Byers, Thomas B. “Back To The Future: The Humanistic Matrix.” Cultural Critique 53.1 (2003): 28-46. Print. Malcolmson, Patrick. “The Matrix, Liberal Education, and Other Splinters in the Mind.” Humanitas 17.1 (2004): 139-158. Print.

Open Document